Campus Tour

Old Crescent Album

Sample Gates in SpringNo matter what the season, the Sample Gates welcome visitors to the historic Old Crescent area of campus—an area of campus architecture that hints at turn of the century American collegiate education. The Gothic styled gates were a gift to Indiana University in 1986 from Edson Sample.

Sample Gates in AutumnNo matter what the season, the Sample Gates welcome visitors to the historic Old Crescent area of campus—an area of campus architecture that hints at turn of the century American collegiate education. The Gothic styled gates were a gift to Indiana University in 1986 from Edson Sample.

Sample Gates in WinterNo matter what the season, the Sample Gates welcome visitors to the historic Old Crescent area of campus—an area of campus architecture that hints at turn of the century American collegiate education. The Gothic styled gates were a gift to Indiana University in 1986 from Edson Sample.

Franklin HallBy 1908, this English Gothic building was completed to accommodate the growing library collection. A new wing was added in 1925, including studio space for noted artist T. C. Steele. Today it is vacant and in the process of being renovated to house The Media School in 2016.

Student BuildingBuilt in 1906, the Student Building originally housed a parlor, auditorium, gymnasium, and pool for student recreation. Its quintessential clock tower is an IU Bloomington landmark whose chimes can be heard every quarter hour. The departments of Anthropology and Geography are housed in the Student Building today.

Maxwell HallWhen built in 1890, the Romanesque Revival “Library Hall” housed the university’s first library. By 1894, the building was renamed Maxwell Hall in honor of David H. and James Maxwell (’33), a father and son who were longtime supporters of the university. Today it houses offices that focus on undergraduate education.

Owen HallStudents study around the Herman B Wells sculpture in front of Owen Hall. Reflecting the tastes of mid-nineteenth-century America, the four-story hall was completed in 1885 in High Victorian Gothic style. It was named after Richard Owen, professor of Natural Science from 1863 to 1879 and a state geologist.

Wylie HallWylie Hall was the original home of the sciences on campus. Dedicated in 1885 in honor of Andrew Wylie, the university’s first president and his cousin Theophilus, a professor of natural philosophy and chemistry. This High Victorian Gothic style building today houses the Department of Economics.

Rose Well HouseAfter a devastating fire, the two surviving portals from the old College Building from the Indiana Seminary campus were used to design this pavilion housing the only water cistern at the new Dunn’s Woods campus. The open-air structure is named for its benefactor, Theodore F. Rose.

Campus Central Album

Indiana Memorial Union (IMU or Union)With more than 500,000 square feet of space, the Union is one of the largest college unions in the world. It includes six eateries, a computer lab, hair salon, 186-room hotel, 50,000 square feet of meeting space, bowling alley, theater, and much more.

IMU Wi-Fi LoungesHanging out in one of the Wi-Fi lounge areas at the Union between classes is a common practice. Students can relax, study, hang out, and meet friends.

Students sketch in the IMU courtyard

Dunn MeadowDunn Meadow is a small piece of the 20 acres purchased from Moses F. Dunn in 1883 for the site of the new IU campus. The meadow is located next to the Indiana Memorial Union and is a popular place to hang out in good weather, to play music or Frisbee, and meet friends.

School of JournalismIn 1954, Journalism found its home in Ernie Pyle Hall, named after the famous 1944 Pulitzer Prize winner, war correspondent, and IU student. Today, students use the multimedia lab, computer labs, library, and Indiana Daily Student and Arbutus newsrooms to complete projects, such as video documentaries and investigative reports.

School of Public Health-BloomingtonEstablished in 1946 as the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER), it was the first school of its kind in the U.S. In 2012, HPER became the School of Public Health-Bloomington. Programs include Applied Health Science, Kinesiology, and Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, and it houses courts for basketball and racquetball, strength and conditioning facilities, an indoor track, and two swimming pools.

Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC)The 137,000 square foot center opened in 1995 with three multi-purpose sports areas, a five-court field house with a 1/8- mile running/jogging/walking track, an Olympic size pool, a diving well with competition towers, 10 racquetball/handball courts, four squash courts, two conditioning/weight training rooms, and a fitness consultant room.

SRSC indoor 1/8- mile running/jogging/walking track

SRSC Olympic size swimming pool

Campus Recreational SportsCampus Recreational Sports programs include RecFest, as well as over 40 club sports and 24 intramural sport options.

Showalter Fountain Plaza Album

Showalter FountainShowalter Fountain is the centerpiece of the Fine Arts Plaza, surrounded by the IU Art Museum, Hope School of Fine Arts, IU Auditorium, The Lilly Library, and Woodburn Hall. The fountain was designed by former IU faculty member Robert Laurent, depicting “The Birth of Venus.”

Traditional forms of dance from various cultures are a part of Culturefest

IU Art MuseumThe IU Art Museum is one of the foremost university art museums in the country with over 30,000 objects—paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and textiles—representing nearly every art-producing culture throughout history. World-renowned architectural firm I.M. Pei & Partners designed the museum building.

Henry Radford Hope School of Fine ArtsFounded in 1865, the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts has programs in a wide range of mediums for studio work and art history courses spanning prehistoric times to present day, as well as art theory.

Fine arts students can be found anywhere on campus painting or drawing

IU AuditoriumIn January of 2000, the Auditorium was rededicated after a multi-million dollar renovation, which returned the facility to the first class stature it enjoyed when it originally opened in 1941. Performances, such as Les Miserables, Rent, Mama Mia, Kenny Rogers, and the American Ballet Theatre, are regularly scheduled.

Auditorium’s Hall of MuralsOn permanent display in the Auditorium’s Hall of Murals are the highly acclaimed Thomas Hart Benton Murals, which depict the industrial and social progress of the state of Indiana. These panels are from a 22-panel work commissioned for the Century of Progress exhibition at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.

Lilly LibrarySince its dedication in 1960, the Lilly's holdings have grown to nearly 400,000 books, over 100,000 pieces of sheet music, and more than 6,500,000 manuscripts. The library is named after J. K. Lilly, Jr. Materials range from rare books such as the Gutenberg Bible and the four Shakespeare folios.

Woodburn HallOriginally the Business and Economics Building, Woodburn Hall was renamed to honor James Albert Woodburn, an IU professor of history from 1890 to 1924. Two panels of the famous mural "Social History of the State of Indiana" by Thomas Hart Benton are housed in its large lecture hall.

Arboretum and Wells Library Album

ArboretumStudent's traffic through the Arboretum between classes, a beautiful setting with an expansive lawn, hundreds of select flora, and a pond.

Herman B Wells LibraryThe Herman B Wells Library, with its double towers of Indiana limestone, sits at the east end of the Arboretum. It is the visual center of the IU multi-library system and primarily supports the disciplines of the humanities and social sciences with more than 4.6 million volumes.

Wells Library main entrance between the towersStudents can hang with friends or have group discussions before entering either of the towers to study. The Commons Café is located here where a line of students wait as soon as it opens each day for a cup of coffee and a bagel.

Wells Library Information CommonsStudents especially like the Information Commons, which the editors of the student newspaper called “one-stop, work-until-you-wilt megaplex of technology.”

Wells Library Reference RoomThe Reference Room contains rare or specialty works that can’t be checked out. Collections here and throughout the branch libraries also include journals, maps, films, and sound recordings. Users can access more than 400 databases, 43,000 electronic journals, and 224,000 electronic books, as well as locally developed digital content.

Walking East to West Album

School of EducationIn 1992, the School of Education in Bloomington moved into this new W. W. Wright Education Building on the east end of campus. This modern facility offers the latest in technological facilities for instruction, training, and research.

Jacobs School of MusicThe McKinney Fountain welcomes students to one of the entrances of the School of Music’s five buildings located in the heart of the IU Bloomington campus, including recital halls, more than 170 practice rooms, choral and instrumental rehearsal rooms, and more than 100 offices and studios.

Musical Arts CenterThe grandest facility of the Jacobs School of Music is the Musical Arts Center, which features technical capabilities that are among the best in the nation. The school offers more than 1,100 performances a year, including seven fully staged operas.

Morrison HallMorrison Hall is one of four buildings of the Agnes E. Wells quadrangle, along with Sycamore Hall, Memorial Hall, and Goodbody Hall—all built between 1925-1940. Morrison Hall is the home of The Kinsey Institute; founded in 1938, named after Alfred Kinsey, pioneer of human sexuality research.

Woodlands and bridgesWalking to class through woodlands on wooden bridges is a common occurrence on the Bloomington campus.

Woodlands and pathsPaths to class wind through campus woodlands.

Ballantine HallStudents come and go from Ballantine Hall, the largest classroom building on campus. Ballantine houses many of the offices of the College of Arts and Sciences departments. Built in 1959 and named for Elisha Ballantine, former vice president of the university and professor of mathematics and Greek.

Chemistry BuildingThe Chemistry Building, an academic institution and a world-class research facility, was originally completed in 1931 with a major addition to the building in 1986. Analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry are studied, as well as the development of new instruments and methodologies in the field.

Simon HallConstruction of Simon Hall, a $55.7 million multidisciplinary science research building, dedicated in 2007, provides laboratories and offices for researchers from several disciplines including chemistry, biology, and physics.

Big Ten Sports Facilities Album

Assembly HallAssembly Hall opened in 1971 and is the home of men and women’s basketball games. It is also where students assemble for concerts and keynote speakers.

Memorial StadiumBuilt in 1960, the Memorial Stadium is home to the IU Hoosiers football team. The North End Zone structure, completed in the fall of 2009, houses a state-of-the-art strength development area. New athletics facilities also include the Basketball Development Center, Baseball Stadium, Softball Stadium and The Academic Resource Center.

Bill Armstrong Stadium—Home to the Little 500 bike raceIn 1981, the Bill Armstrong Stadium was completed for joint use by the Student Foundation and the varsity soccer program. A new press box, concessions, restrooms, stadium lighting, scoreboard and a grand entry plaza adjoining the Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex have been added since.